Currently Recruiting Research Assistants

Changing Hearts And Minds in relationshiPS (CHAMPS) is a multi-method, state-of-the-art, and state-of-the-science therapy process research project. Using self-report questionnaires, fMRIs, video recordings, physiologic readings and more, CHAMPS seeks to identify mechanisms of change in Marriage and Family Therapy. Undergraduate Research Assistants should prepare by taking SFL 290. They participate through a Fall-Winter 403R Research Practicum course series offered by Dr. Angela Bradford or Dr. Lee Johnson. This is an especially good research experience for students deciding whether they would like to pursue a clinical degree.

A collaborative project sponsored by the School of Family Life, the Wheatley Institute, and the Austin Institute with the two-fold aim to identify research that has been biased or misinterpreted and then inform the public. RAs should prepare by taking SFL 290.

The Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study is a nationally representative longitudinal study of newly married couples. The study involves 2,187 couples, most of whom were married in 2014, and explores aspects of relationships and how transitions are associated with relationship qualities. To prepare RAs are encouraged to take SFL 290 and Stats 121 or equivalent in other major (not required, but helpful).

Marriage and Family Therapy Practice Research Network

The MFT-PRN an Internet-based assessment system that can be used by MFTs and other systemically-oriented therapists across the country and the world. The system is designed so that the receptionist or therapist works with clients to complete the assessments before each therapy session. When the client checks in with the receptionist or other person designated by the clinic, the receptionist will enter their name in the PRN website (if it is the first session) or pull-up the client by their initials (if it is an established client). The receptionist will then scan the QR code that automatically pops up using an iPad or other electronic tablets (if preferred a computer could also be used). The appropriate assessment measures will then automatically be loaded, and the clients will complete the assessments. Once they are finished, the attending therapist will then instantaneously receive a clinical report of the clients’ assessments, and the responses will be automatically stored on a secure server. Data from all clients using the PNR are to BYU for use in publications and presentations.

The American Families of Faith research project is a national research project involving in-depth, qualitative interviews with more than 200 religious couple and families (500+ individuals) from all eight regions of the United States. We interview "exemplary" families with strong marriages and learn how they have overcome challenges in life, marriage, and parenting--and how their faith has helped them do so.

Center for Emotion and Cognition (CEC)

In the CEC, we aim to understand how we make sense of the world around us. We investigate the development of social cognition and emotion understanding in infancy and childhood by assessing infants' emotion attributions, false-belief understanding, imitation/emulation, and false-emotion attributions using a multi-method approach, which includes non-verbal measures, behavioral paradigms, violation-of-expectation paradigms, and eye-tracking. We also investigate the role of context in emotion perception, especially as it pertains to how facial expressions of emotion are categorized and visually processed. Potential applicants are encouraged to have taken Research Methods and Statistics. Prior research experience is encouraged, but not required.

Recruiting Research Assistants Later

MORE: Minority-Oriented Research Evaluation

Recruiting SFL 403R students now, and then paid RA’s out of this group.

MORE: Minority-Oriented Research Evaluation is a cross-disciplinary content analysis project examining the social sciences literature and its attention to racial/ethnic/cultural minorities. Student researchers will categorize and code journal articles based on topic, level of minority focus, methodology and sample characteristics.

Involved students will benefit in terms of:

greater familiarity with PsycINFO (digital database for social science research),

increased ability to dissect and understand the structure of journal articles,

insight into the larger breadth of social science research topics (clinical and non-clinical)

an awareness of the relative under-supply of research focused on racial/ethnic/cultural minorities.

Bean will also provide orientation to the application process for graduate school (especially clinical programs), and what admissions committees look for in students.

RAs can participate in the project by enrolling in SFL 403R/PSYCH 430R with Dr. Bean (offered F/W/Spring). Students are then eligible to be considered for paid RA positions.

Sound Money Management and Marriage

A quantative study that examines the association between sound financial management behaviors and marriage.

RAs can receive credit.

RA Tasks:

Help with the literature review

Faculty Directors: Dr. Jeff Dew

The Healthy Sexuality Project

A study exploring the role of the parent-child relationship and parent-child sex communication on the development of healthy sexuality. RAs should prepare by taking SFL 290 (advanced writing preferred).

RAs can receive credit or pay.

RA Tasks:

Gather data, help with writing papers

As we move to the second phase of the study we will be looking for more student involvement